Previous
Imagery
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Ironic Future:
Situational irony arises from the Time Traveller's failure to discover the utopian future civilization that he had expected. The Time Traveller's initial interest in the future as a way to improve the present is contrasted with the bleak and desolate reality he encounters.
In Chapter 1, the Traveller states his expectations for his journey through time and his belief that the future will demonstrate solutions to the problems of the present:
The whole world will be intelligent, educated, and cooperating; things will move faster and faster towards the subjugation of Nature. In the end, wisely and carefully we shall readjust the balance of animal and vegetable life to suit our human needs.
Related Themes:
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Ironic Future:
Situational irony arises from the Time Traveller's failure to discover the utopian future civilization that he had expected. The Time Traveller's initial interest in the future as a way to improve the present is contrasted with the bleak and desolate reality he encounters.
In Chapter 1, the Traveller states his expectations for his journey through time and his belief that the future will demonstrate solutions to the problems of the present:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The whole world will be intelligent, educated, and cooperating; things will move faster and faster towards the subjugation of Nature. In the end, wisely and carefully we shall readjust the balance of animal and vegetable life to suit our human needs.
Related Themes:
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Stuck in the Future:
The fact that the Time Traveller's invention, the time machine, ultimately leaves him stranded in the future and unable to return to his own time is an example of situational irony. The machine that was meant to give him control over time and space ends up trapping him in a future he can't escape from:
Unlock with LitCharts A+At once, like a lash across the face, came the possibility of losing my own age, of being left helpless in this strange new world.
Related Themes:
